A grave accent is a diacritical mark that appears as a downward sloping line (`) over a vowel. It is commonly used in various languages, such as French, Italian, and Spanish, to indicate specific pronunciation or to distinguish between words. For example, in French, the word "à" (meaning "to") uses a grave accent to differentiate it from "a" (meaning "has"). In addition to its phonetic function, the grave accent can also affect the meaning of words. In Spanish, the word "sí" (meaning "yes") has an accent mark, while "si" (meaning "if") does not. Understanding the use of grave accents is essential for proper pronunciation and comprehension in languages that utilize them.